Through her life
by QuinnandWade
Summary: So i recently watched the first episode of TLOK and i thought about Katara, and since we never got a book four, i thought I'd do it justice and write about her life throughout the years:D Enjoy! This is a one-shot! Rated T, you know just because:P


**So, this is a one-shot that I thought up while watching the first episode of **_**The Legend of Korra. **_**It took me at least 2 months of debating with people and with myself to watch this show, but I gave in and did it anyways. I heard that it was about ATLA in a way, but I knew nothing of the plot or of the 'new' characters. After watching the intro of the first episode, I started getting REALLY choked up, and when I saw Katara I started crying. Then, when I saw Tenzin and his little air bender kids, I started to bawl like I do when I watch sad movies like Titanic… anyways, it gave me an idea. Katara being old and alone is seriously depressing, and I don't like it-.- I mean, I like TLOK but seriously, for us kataangers, that is like torture**** I hate that! So, to bring some kataangers justice and satisfaction, I am going to do this! **** Readers beware, if you don't want to read something somewhat sad, then don't read it, but it is what it is. Here it is**

**Disclaimer: I don't own ATLA, or TLOK.**

… = Years as they pass

Through her life

Katara knelt down in front of the little water bender of the Southern Water tribe. She smiled softly at the small child. She had dark brown, almost black hair and piercing blue eyes. Katara glanced back towards The White Lotus and they nodded at her. She shrugged and turned back to the four-year-old girl that was claimed by many to be the next Avatar.

"Hello little one, " Katara said and the little girl smiled.

"Hello," the girl replied, and Katara laughed.

Katara stopped laughing and stared at the girl for a long moment.

"You know, I trained you once," Katara said, pushing some hair back out of the child's face. "You became a master water bender, I was so proud of you."

The girl looked at Katara and a small grin came to her dark face.

"And now," she said. "I will train you again."

The girl smiled brighter and hugged the master water bender. Katara hugged her back; Korra was her new student.

…

"Again!" Katara ordered and the twelve year old went through the same drill for the 5th time. Korra held the water in her palms and it moved up to her arms and stopped at her shoulders, wrapping around them like a long sleeve. She swung her arms up in the air making a long line of water and then they came swooping down and the water was sent splashing to the ground. Korra grunted in aggravation. She bawled her hands into fists.

"Why can't I get this move?!" Korra screamed at Katara.

"You have to be swift, quick. You need to aim directly at your target Korra, concentrate."

"I hate this drill! I hate it! I cant do it so what's the point?!" Korra yelled at her teacher.

"Korra, you will get it. You are the Avatar and it's your job to master the four elements. Avatar Aang did it, and you will too," Katara said.

Korra's brow twitched, she was about to explode. "Stop telling me what I must do! Don't compare me to 'Avatar Aang'; I'm nothing like him! Maybe I don't want to be the Avatar!" Korra shouted, pointing her finger at her master.

"Korra, don't talk like that!" Katara said.

"I'm done for the day, I don't feel like it," Korra said but as she was about to walk off, Katara shouted.

"Korra, as your master I'm telling you to run the drill again!"

Korra turned around and glared at the old woman. After a long moment Korra said, "fine." She walked back to her master and past her. She bended the water again and again it covered her arms like sleeves. She lifted her arms in the air and then swooped them down and shot her fingers out in front of her. The water turned to ice shards and they were let loose from her grasp and plunged into the ground below. Katara looked satisfied at the drill when it was complete and let Korra run off to play. She stood there surrounded by ice and snow. She thought about what Korra had said, about not wanting to be the Avatar. Aang had said the same thing when she was 14, and he turned into a great leader and hero. _He's gone, Katara. He's been gone for years now. Korra will become a great leader and Avatar one day too; she'll follow in his footsteps. Maybe he'll guide her, _she though. _Maybe._

…

"Tenzin, it's great to see you," Katara said, greeting her son. "Where's Pema?" she asked over tea at her house.

"She's back at Air Temple Island, she's watching Jinora, Ikki, and Meelo. I thought I'd come by to visit you, how are you mother?" Tenzin asked.

"Oh, I'm fine, how's Pema and the children? You?" Katara asked.

"I'm okay, Pema's doing fine with the baby. The kids are great; Meelo's still struggling with his air bending. I think Jinora and Ikki are doing exceptionally well for their age," Tenzin answered.

"That's good. You know, you struggled a bit at first when you were learning, but you mastered it after a while," Katara said.

Tenzin looked at his mother in disbelief. "I did?" he asked.

"Yes, but your father never pressured you. He knew you'd get it after a bit of practice. And now look at you," she said. Tenzin smiled and put down his cup. "Mother, I have to get back to Republic City. I have a meeting with the council," he said and Katara looked sad and placed her cup on the table.

"But Tenzin, you only just arrived," she said. She didn't get to see him or any of her kids that often, and when she did, they never got to stay long.

"I know mother, but you must understand, I have to get back. Tarlock is expecting me. I'll come back for a visit soon, I promise," Tenzin said, going for the door. Katara got up as soon as he opened it.

"You'll tell the kids I love them and I said 'hi' wont you?"

"Of course, they'll be glad to hear from you. I might be able to bring them back soon to see you, when ever I get the time," Tenzin replied.

Katara nodded. She hugged her son briefly and he exited her home. She gave him a long wave as he walked over to Oogie and grabbed the reins.

"Have a safe trip back Tenzin!" she called to the best of her abilities. He waved at her and commanded Oogie to fly. Katara shut the door quietly after she saw to it that Tenzin had flown out of sight. She sighed and grabbed the two cups that were on her table. _Table for five, maybe I should get a smaller one. No one else is ever here except Tenzin, and maybe Bumi, and I haven't seen Kya for a while. _She took the two cups and washed them out. She had to get on her tiptoes just to push them back into place in the cabinets. She looked around her home, it was so empty. _Well it didn't used to be empty; it used to be full of fun and laughter, _she thought. _What should I do? Korra is back in Republic city, so no training lessons… I wonder if she's okay, oh of course she is. She's mastering air, not water. But it was fun teaching her, it gave me some purpose. Aang, why did you have to go and leave me here all by myself? I miss you terribly. I know Tenzin doesn't talk about it, especially not today, but I can't help it. It is your birthday today, why not acknowledge it? Sometimes I wonder if you can even hear me… but of course you can't. That would be silly. _Katara wiped her eyes from were she had let a few tears out. Aang had been gone for 16 years, but she still cried every now and then. Training Korra was hard; she had to keep everything bottled up inside, but she felt that if she trained Korra she would be closer to Aang in a way. She shook her head, not today. _ Katara, just stop. If you think about him you'll just be depressed and sad, and Aang wouldn't want that. He'd want you to be happy. But how can I be happy? _She blinked to stop the tears that were forming and walked to her room. She went to a drawer at her bedside and pulled it open. She smiled when her eyes fixed on a very old necklace. Aang had woven it for her out of a fishing net, with a flower in the middle. Sokka was so mad at him for it._ Those were the good ole' days, right? _A small smile came to her furrowed face and she made the decision to be happy today. She undid her usual necklace and knotted the woven necklace in the back. She ran her fingers along it and smiled yet again. She took a seat on her bed and laid down. She stared up at the ceiling and let out a deep breath and turned on her side. She curled up like she used to and closed her eyes. Katara let the inviting feeling of sleep wash over her and soon, she was in a deep slumber. She looked around, the place she was in seemed somewhat familiar, and then she looked at her hands. They were dark and well, they looked young. She looked around and she saw Sokka sitting by a campfire talking to… Aang? _Where am I?_ She walked over to them and cocked her head to one side. Her dark hair fell to the right and her hair was in a braid. Katara grabbed it and sure enough, it was real. Well if it was a dream why not enjoy it while it lasted? She walked to her brother and sat next to him. In between him and Aang.

"Hey Katara, where have you been?" Sokka asked and she smiled.

"Just watching," she replied. Aang and Sokka stared at her in confusion and then Sokka smelt the stench of smoke, and a lot of it. He looked up and behind the tree line there was a large amount of smoke rising up into the air. Sokka dropped his bowl and it plummeted to the ground.

"Fire Nation! Lets move!" Sokka ordered and Aang scrambled to his feet and ran to Appa. Katara stood and watched them run by like a flash and she didn't have time to get her thoughts together.

"Come on, Katara!" Aang yelled and he jumped off of the bison. He grabbed her hand and helped her up. Sokka came dashing out of the trees and ran up Appa's tail yelling 'yip, yip!' once they were up in the air, Katara felt like she could breath again. She stared at Appa, then at Momo who was flying around in the air. She looked at her brother, who she thought was gone, and then she looked at Aang. She smiled at the sight of them. She relaxed for a second in the saddle and then the simple image became distorted and blurred. She blinked away the bright light of white and shielded her eyes. The saddle disappeared as well as Appa and Sokka and Aang, Momo too. She called to them but nothing happened. Then, she began to fall through the never-ending white. She screamed and called out, but again nothing happened. Katara clamped her eyes shut and when she reopened them, she was shocked to see herself. It was as if she was a third person point of view. She was staring in on herself at a campfire, along with Aang. Katara remembered that night, and she smiled yet again._ This was a good night, this was the night Aang told me he loved me. Well I already knew, but it's different hearing the words come out of someone's mouth. We were so young back then, I must have been... oh, fifteen? _ She watched Aang wrap his arm around herself, and she melted in his embrace. Her younger self looked up at Aang and smiled. Aang returned the smile.

"You know, you're so beautiful," Aang said. Katara's younger self smiled even wider.

"You remind me everyday," she said and Aang chuckled. When the laughter died down, Aang paused and stared at her.

"I love you, so much," he said with the most caring and sincere feeling behind those words. He gave Katara the warmest smile she had ever received and she returned the smile seconds later.

"I love you, too. You have no idea," she said. The older Katara stepped back and looked around. Like before, the view was being blurred and turning white. She didn't have to shield her eyes as much, she closed them yet again and the feeling of falling overwhelmed her. She let out not one scream but simply let her heart jump and she began to soar through the white and towards the ground. She hit the ground, and let out a yelp of pain. Katara opened her eyes, and her vision was hazy. She looked at her hands, young and dark. Her outfit was a collection of a water tribe robe, dark blue pants and two water skins wrapped around her shoulders and back. She struggled to get up, but couldn't manage with the pain of her arm starting to rise. Katara scanned the battlefield and saw Toph earth bending. She saw Sokka and Zuko, and Aang. Aang was running towards her in an all out sprint. He quickly reached her and asked her, "Are you hurt?" she nodded and held her arm protectively.

"Toph!" Aang yelled and the blind girl turned towards them. She stamped her foot on the ground and found them. She ran to them and shot her arms out in front of her in fists. An earth tent formed out of the move and Aang carried Katara in. He rested her down on the ground and began to leave.

"Where are we?" Katara asked. Aang turned to her.

"Katara, the rebels are trying to take back Ba Sing Se, and they're winning."

She nodded quickly and asked, "Where are you going?"

"I'm going to try and get the rebels to fall back, you need to stay here."

Katara watched him leave and Toph smiled at her. "Twinkle toes will be just fine," Toph said and Katara smiled. "I'll make sure he is," Toph added and with that, she earth bended the tent closed. The dark tent faded and white appeared out of the earth. _Not again!_ But yet again, Katara fell and she felt as if she was going to explode. She let out a small scream and she stared at the white until it morphed into a creamy color. She scanned the room and found a large mirror. Walking up to it, Katara caught a full view of herself. Dark curly long hair, tan skin, and a different necklace around her neck. Oh, it was the most beautiful necklace she ever laid eyes on. She touched the pendant and it shined in the light. Her arms were covered in the most exotic silk. Her body was covered in a white dress, the silk covered the waist and up. The silk dangled around the white cloth and she rested her hands on it. It was so soft and was the whitest cloth she had ever seen. A small man came through the door and smiled.

"You look breath taking, my dear. Now, for the final touch," the man said. He lifted a silky veil up to Katara's head and placed it on her hair like a crown. The silk fabric was lifted and placed in front of her face. She was rushed to two large doors and a bouquet was placed between her hands. Katara let out a deep breath and looked around. She saw her father standing before her and she smiled.

"You look just like your mother," he said and she smiled wider.

"Dad, is it good to be scared?" Katara asked and her father laughed.

"Oh lets see, I was a wreck. I think it's normal," her father replied. Katara nodded and waited anxiously at the double doors. She turned to her father.

"Dad, don't let me trip, okay?" she said and he laughed again.

"I won't." The wedding music started and her father held out his arm.

"Are you ready?" he asked.

"As I'll ever be," Katara replied and took her fathers arm. The doors opened and a grand room appeared before her. Her heart beat rapidly ad her eyes searched the rows upon rows of people watching her walk. She saw Aang standing at the end. All of her nerves vanished and she smiled at him. Sokka and Zuko were standing beside him to his right. On the other side, were Toph, Suki, and Mai dressed in long cream-colored gowns. She walked a bit faster as the image started to fade. She looked around and the people were vanishing along with her dad. Katara looked at her beautiful white gown that was now turning into her original water tribe attire. Two armed wrapped around her waist and a smile tugged at the corners of her mouth. She turned her head to her left and blue eyes met grey. He smiled at her and said, "Hello."

"Hi," Katara said as Aang's chin rested on her shoulder. She smiled broader as she listened to him whisper in her ear. She let out a laugh and turned to him. Their lips met in a passionate kiss as their arms wrapped around each other.

"I love you," Katara said in between kisses. The kisses stopped and Katara opened her eyes to see why but when she did, she was comforted by the mirror image of herself nursing a small child. Katara smiled at the sight of little Tenzin cradled in her arms. Katara got up and put the small baby in his crib to sleep. There was a knock on her door and Katara turned to open it. Toph was standing on the other side of the door, her long bangs covering most of her eyes from view.

"Hey Sugar Queen," Toph said and Katara smiled at her old friend.

"Hi Toph, what brings you to the South Pole?" Katara said.

"I wanted to visit my best friend," she replied and Katara stepped out of the way to let her in.

"The house is mostly made of earth so you can see," Katara said as she walked to the large kitchen. "Do you want some tea?"

"Sure," Toph said.

"Please, take a seat," Katara said heading to the table for five. Katara passed a mug to Toph who gladly accepted.

"So, how are you?" Katara asked. Toph took the mug from her mouth to answer.

"Well, Yakone is going to trial in about a week, people say he's a blood bender. Good thing you put a la against it," Toph said. "Other than that, I'm fine. How are you and the kids? How's twinkle toes?"

Katara laughed and placed her mug on the table. "I'm going okay. Kya is getting better at water bending. Bumi, well let's just say Sokka is teaching him how to use a boomerang, I don't think it's the best idea. And then I have that little one in the crib, his name is Tenzin. Aang is doing good, he should be home soon," Katara said. Toph nodded.

"Is he a bender?" she asked. Katara shrugged.

"We don't know," Katara replied. Toph stood up from the table.

"Mind if I hold him?" Toph asked and Katara stood as well.

"Not at all." Katara walked to the crib and carefully picked up the baby and cradled him in her arms. She passed him to Toph, who smiled. "Just cradle his head," Katara said and Toph did so.

"You're so lucky."

"Thank you," Katara said. Toph handed the small child back to his mother and gave her a half hug.

"Well, I better get back," Toph said taking Katara by surprise. She and Toph headed for the door and Toph stood at the exit. She turned to her old friend, "It was great seeing you," Toph said.

"You too Toph," Katara said and Toph made her exit. Katara stood by the door and waved to her until Toph could no longer be seen. Katara placed the sleeping baby back in the crib and went to retrieve the two mugs. She set out on washed them when she heard the door open.

"Any one home?" Aang asked.

"In the kitchen," Katara called and turned her attention back to the dishes. She smiled when she saw Aang walk in. He gave her a peck on the cheek.

"How was your day?" he asked.

"It was fine, you just missed Toph though. She came by to visit, she asked how everyone was," Katara spoke.

"Yeah, she's busy with the upcoming trial," Aang said. When Katara finished the dishes, she turned to Aang.

"I missed you," she said as she gave him a hug. She pulled away and walked over to the crib and was shocked to see it empty. "Aang! Where's Tenzin?"

"What do you mean, he's in the crib," Aang said.

"No, no he isn't," Katara said, panicked. She ran into the kitchen once again and as if on cue, she saw little Tenzin crawling on top of the cabinets. She clasped her hand over her mouth. "Aang, he's… he's-" she said, pointing at the small child crawling and cooing.

"Do you think he's-?" Aang said, trying to look for words.

"Please get him down!" Katara cried, scared for her child.

Aang held his arms out. "Come here Tenzin," he said and the baby giggled. "Come to daddy," he said and as if on cue, Tenzin waved his arms in the air and a small gust of wind sent the baby flying and into his dad's arms. Aang laughed as the baby giggled and tugged on his air bending clothes. "I knew you'd make daddy proud," he said and the baby gurgled. Katara smiled and tickled the baby's chin earning another giggle. She looked at Aang and they smiled in unison. The scene was quickly replaced with a seemingly endless white._ Why can't I enjoy it, just this once?_ _Aang, I wish you were here!_

As if reading Katara's thoughts, a voice said, "I am here." Katara turned to lock eyes with her husband.

"How, is this a dream?" Katara asked. Aang shook his head and smiled.

"It's my message," he said and Katara looked confused.

"Message?" she repeated and Aang nodded.

"It will seem like a dream, but I sent it to you, today," Aang said walking up to her.

"What does the message say?" Katara asked.

"That I don't want to see you sad, I want you to be happy. Katara, you may think I'm gone but I'm always there with you. I can't talk long, I wanted to say that I love you," he said.

Katara's eyes began to water, "I love you, too," she said. He pulled her into a long hug and kissed the top of her head. She looked up at him and blinked away the tears.

"I have to go now," he said. Katara looked sad.

"But you only just got here!" Katara said in protest.

"Please understand, Katara. The spirits are very skeptical with this, I can't leave them waiting," Aang said.

"But you can leave me waiting?" Katara said, a tear rolling down her cheek.

"Katara, I'll see you again. This wont be the last time," Aang said with a warm smile.

"When?" Katara asked.

"Soon," Aang said and he gave her one more hug. He pulled away but took both of Katara's hands in his. "I have to go now," he said and his figure started to slowly slip away. Katara grippe his hands tighter and then he was gone, just like that. She stood there, her hands bawled into fists from where she tried to make Aang stay a little bit longer, but it was useless. He left her alone in the white room with no limits to ceilings or floors.

"Goodbye," Katara said after he vanished from her yet again. Her old eyes fluttered open and she sat up in her bed. She looked around the room wondering if it really was a message from her husband or just a dream that her mind wanted to make up. She sighed and thought about what he had said. _Aang said he'd see me again, and I wasn't alone. I'm not alone, after all…_

**so that was a **_**really**_** long one-shot. I'll have you know, I'm not comfortable writing 'Lemons' and such, I'm not gifted in that department. But I hope you liked it if you read it this far:D thanks for reading. Favorite, and review! Your opinion is greatly appreciated! Bye, guys!**


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